The NRDC considers this a significant win as misuse of antibiotics can cause a rise in antibiotic-resistant infections. These infections make approximately 2 million Americans ill each year. And 23,000 of these individuals will die.

Currently, 70% of the medically-important antibiotics in the United States are used on livestock. These antibiotics are typically distributed in the water or feed that the animals consume. And often these animals are not sick. They are still given antibiotics because they are overcrowded, stressed and placed in unsanitary housing. And the use of antibiotics can cause resistant superbugs to thrive. This, in turn, can lead to drug-resistant infections in humans.

According to the KFC website, they will phase out antibiotics from their chicken tenders, popcorn chicken and also their bone-in chicken. They are the first major chain to include bone-in chicken which includes Original Recipe, Extra Crispy, Kentucky Grilled Chicken and their wings.

In fact, KFC is calling this process their “re-colonization” and they have been working hand in hand with over 2,000 farms across the US to phase out antibiotics. Most of these farms are also family owned and managed and KFC says that this is all a part of their plan to “return back to their roots”.

Other fast food chains that have committed to phasing out chicken raised with antibiotics include McDonald’s, Subway, Taco Bell, and Chick-fil-A.

Hopefully, this will be the first step in leading the beef and pork industry to do the same by following the lead of the poultry industry!